Kerry: Russia Responsible for Rioting in Ukraine

The U.S. says Russia is trying to destabilize and topple Ukraine’s new, pro-Western government – without using the troops massed on Ukraine’s border.

Europe

This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>>>good evening and while the world has been distracted elsewhere suddenly once again the prospect of military action by one of the world's superpowers is being called a very real possibility. today the standoff between
russia
and what remains of
ukraine
took on a new urgency because there's violence in the streets once again. violence in parliament of all places. and people are tossing around terms like
civil war
again. it's largely pro
russia
violence in parts of
ukraine
and many are blaming
russia
for stirring it up with 30,000 troops let's not forget on their side of the border. it's a dicey situation once again and we begin tonight with our chief
foreign affairs
correspondent
andrea mitchell
. good evening.

>> reporter: good evening. the u.s. said today
russia
is trying to destabilize and topple
ukraine
's pro western new government. rioting in cities across pro
russiaukraine
. armed men in this video posted by ukrainian media occupying a security headquarters in luhansk, holding 60 hostages. a
television station
taken over in kharkiv. even in kiev the capital, a fist fight in parliament between moscow partisans and supporters of
ukraine
's new government. secretary of state
kerry
told the senate today
russia
is behind it all.

>>everything that we've seen in the last
48 hours
from
russia
's agents operating in
eastern ukraine
tells us that they've been sent there determined to create chaos.

>>on the issue of
ukraine
, my hero,
teddy roosevelt
used to say talk softly but carry a
big stick
. what you're doing is talking strongly and carrying a very small stick in fact a stick.

>> reporter: kerry
hit back.

>>teddy roosevelt
also said the corrected belongs to the people who are in the arena trying to get things done. we're trying to get something done. that's a
teddy roosevelt
maxism.

>> reporter: republican critics are skeptical this will do any good but today
vladimir putin
finally agreed to the first direct talks between moscow and
ukraine
's new leaders also including the
european union
and secretary
kerry
to be held sometime next week.